SAN MARCOS, Texas – While many Texas State University students have gone home since in-person classes stopped due to COVID-19, Cheyenne Hobbs doesn’t have that luxury if she wanted to keep the job she still had.

• Many Americans are starting to receive deposits from the federal government
• Some say the funds help but aren’t enough

Hobbs, an undergraduate student, was training to become a server at an IHOP before the response to the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants to shut down.

"I got the notice two days before I was supposed to go on the floor as a server,” said Hobbs.

Hobbs says she was told since she was the newest server at the restaurant, she wouldn’t be coming back to work. 

“Luckily I was able to keep the part-time job I have here on campus," she said. 

But the hours for Hobbs' work-study job answering phones in the Organization, Workforce, and Leadership Studies Department were cut back to help maintain social distancing in the building. She’s now only working there two days a week.

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The Abilene-native was beyond thrilled to finally see $1,200 in federal stimulus funds hit her bank account on Monday. Although she had been anxiously awaiting its arrival, a friend was the one who told her to check.

"’Did you get your check? Did you get your check?’ I was like, 'What are you talking about?” recalled Hobbs. “’Check your bank account,’ and it was there and I started crying, like I was just happy tears."

That money, however, is already spoken for, according to Hobbs.

"I immediately made a payment towards my rent,” said Hobbs. “I didn't want to use all of it on rent because then I wouldn't have anything to go to my other bills."

In addition to paying part of her rent, Hobbs paid her overdue phone bill, her car insurance, and made sure to send a care package to her mother who’s out of work due to medical issues.

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While she still has some money left over, it provides minimal security for the future. Hobbs still hasn’t been able to get through to the Texas Workforce Commission to finish filing for unemployment and her efforts to find a second job have been unsuccessful.

"Amazon was a bust— H-E-B was a bust— Pizza Hut was a bust,” lamented Hobbs. “Everything that you would think is hiring is not because we're such a small college town and everyone lost their jobs at the same time."

Despite the hardship, Hobbs has kept an upbeat attitude, believing there are people hurting even more than she is right now. But Hobbs admits she’s still nervous that her bills aren’t going to get paid next month– the $1,200 simply isn’t enough.